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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: kick · game · content · fork · bay · swing · mug · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a face
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. content — happy
  17. swing — music
  18. kick — in football
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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