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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — a skill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — government
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. content — the amount
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. content — happy
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. craft — boats
  21. lie — to recline
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — an untruth

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