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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — of a word
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rest — a break
  16. content — the amount
  17. rock — music
  18. content — happy
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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