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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. season — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — of the year
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — happy
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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