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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — a company
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. present — a gift
  13. rash — hasty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — there
  18. content — happy
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pop — to visit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. firm — decided

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