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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — in golf
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. content — the amount
  5. swing — music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. content — happy
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mug — a face

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