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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cue — a signal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cold — an illness
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — a list
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a skill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — not warm
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. perch — the fish
  24. roll — a cake

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