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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pit — a hole
  6. swing — to play on
  7. object — to protest
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. swing — in golf
  23. content — happy
  24. plane — an aircraft

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