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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — happy
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — to be able to
  11. scale — in music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — size or range
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. content — the amount
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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