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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — happy
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hand — in cards
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — the amount
  19. fine — all right
  20. rock — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rock — a stone

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