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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — the amount
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fine — all right
  8. clip — to cut
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. clip — a video
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. field — farmland
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rash — a series
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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