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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. content — the amount
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — clothes
  5. net — in sport
  6. content — happy
  7. last — finally
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a dance
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. net — after costs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. last — final

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