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

Word bank: bay · foot · fine · suit · rash · fork · rest · content

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — all right
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — hasty
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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