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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — clothes
  4. content — the amount
  5. spring — a coil
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fine — all right
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mug — to rob
  11. spring — the season
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — a break
  14. mug — a face
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. content — happy
  24. net — after costs

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