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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. content — the amount
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — high quality
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — a trace
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. content — happy

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