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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. date — the fruit
  4. kid — to tease
  5. content — happy
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — high quality
  16. capital — a city
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. content — the amount
  22. capital — money
  23. fine — all right
  24. nail — for a hammer

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