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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — in biology
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — the amount
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — to fit
  13. present — the time now
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cell — a phone
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. present — a gift
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. content — happy
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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