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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · toast · racket · key · wave · bore · stick · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. date — the fruit
  2. toast — bread
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bore — to tire
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. key — in music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — the amount
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. key — the most important part
  23. date — on the calendar
  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