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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. squash — to crush
  9. game — a match
  10. content — happy
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fork — in a road
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the vegetable

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