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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. content — the amount
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — happy
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. object — to protest
  21. suit — to fit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — part of the body

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