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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. content — the amount
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — happy
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. net — after costs
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mark — a trace
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. racket — for tennis

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