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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — a match
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. race — the arms race
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. race — humankind
  22. content — happy
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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