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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for golf
  7. kid — to tease
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. current — electric
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kid — child
  18. content — the amount
  19. current — of water
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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