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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 124 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. swing — to play on
  9. content — happy
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lean — thin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — the amount
  16. swing — in golf
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. swing — music

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