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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ball — a great time
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. file — a document
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. content — happy
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. file — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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