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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mug — a face
  5. content — happy
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ball — a dance
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a great time

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