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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lean — to bend
  6. net — after costs
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — thin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. can — a tin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a committee
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — a line
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — the amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. net — in sport

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