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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. suit — clothes
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a path
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — to keep track
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. suit — in cards
  24. track — a song

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