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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. content — the amount
  10. cue — a signal
  11. can — a tin
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — a stone
  15. content — happy
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. toast — bread
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. last — final
  24. can — to be able 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