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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — in sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — to get on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — to drill
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — a committee
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — happy
  23. game — a match
  24. net — after costs

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