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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — happy
  4. wake — a trail
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. foot — a measure
  9. can — to be able to
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. content — the amount
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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