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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — a friend
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. toast — bread
  7. kick — in football
  8. file — a tool
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — to breed
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cue — a hint
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cue — a signal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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