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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — a partner
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — to breed
  16. capital — money
  17. content — the amount
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — happy
  24. capital — a city

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