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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. swing — in golf
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — happy
  18. perch — the fish
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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