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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cap — a hat
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — of ice
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — clothes
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cap — a lid
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — to fit
  23. date — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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