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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — the amount
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. content — happy
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. roll — a list
  18. capital — money
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. roll — a cake
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. leaves — lets stay

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