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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. swing — music
  10. content — happy
  11. toast — bread
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — to play on
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ball — a dance

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