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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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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a great time
  3. present — there
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. content — happy
  7. hand — help
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. tube — the underground
  10. present — a gift
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. game — a match
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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