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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pop — music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pop — soda
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — there
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — a gift
  16. date — the fruit
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. can — a tin
  20. present — the time now
  21. bore — to tire
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pop — to visit

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