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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cue — a hint
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cue — a signal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fork — in a road
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — a series
  24. cue — for pool

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