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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. content — the amount
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a great time
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bark — to shout

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