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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. net — for catching
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. net — after costs
  15. chest — a box
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — the tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — in sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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