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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. content — happy
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — the amount
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — the season
  12. game — a match
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mug — a face
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — a thrill

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