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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a dance
  10. content — happy
  11. pit — in a race
  12. game — a match
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. firm — decided
  17. root — the cause
  18. game — wild animals
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a word
  22. ball — a great time
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. firm — steady

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