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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — clothes
  3. content — happy
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — from a university
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. content — the amount
  14. suit — in cards
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. season — of the year
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com