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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. suit — to fit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kid — child
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — in cards
  22. content — happy
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a great time

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