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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — goods
  7. content — happy
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stock — shares
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — in cards
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. toast — bread

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