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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. content — happy
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — a cup
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. race — humankind
  12. content — the amount
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ground — crushed
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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