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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. can — to be able to
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a face
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mug — a cup
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chest — a box
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. rash — hasty
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chest — of your body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chest — of your body

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