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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. foot — a measure
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pop — music
  11. content — the amount
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pop — to visit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — the bottom

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