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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — happy
  4. can — a tin
  5. fall — the season
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a grade
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — for catching
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rule — government
  18. content — the amount
  19. row — a line
  20. net — after costs
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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