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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — in cards
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fork — in a road
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a dance
  18. clip — to cut
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. clip — a video

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