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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. firm — decided
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — for catching
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. firm — steady
  9. fall — to drop
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — government
  12. fall — the season
  13. net — in sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. firm — a company
  20. rule — a law
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. net — after costs
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bore — to tire

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