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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 116 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. last — finally
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — in cards
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — happy
  14. bore — to drill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — to go on
  22. content — the amount
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — final

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