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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — part of the head
  4. court — of a king
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to confront
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to point toward
  20. court — for sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. court — of law
  24. bear — the animal

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