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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. net — for catching
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — low music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. net — in sport
  10. content — happy
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — the fish
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — the instrument

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