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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. net — for catching
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — after costs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — a measure
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. toast — bread
  12. bore — to drill
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. prune — to trim
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. foot — part of the body

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