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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — the amount
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. content — happy
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — clothes
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. suit — to fit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. racket — for tennis

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