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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. content — happy
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. content — the amount

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