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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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Word bank
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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: stick · kid · content · dip · jam · fan · coach · net

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to sink
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. kid — child
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — the amount
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kid — to tease
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — after costs
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. net — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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