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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stock — goods
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kick — in football
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fork — in a road
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stock — shares
  24. mate — to breed

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