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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — happy
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — a break
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. current — of water
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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