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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mark — a grade
  10. content — happy
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. content — the amount
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. land — ground
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. content — videos and posts

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