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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cell — a phone
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. cell — in biology
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. suit — in cards
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. net — for catching

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