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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — after costs
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — in sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — employees
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. object — a thing
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — completely
  24. content — happy

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