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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. file — a document
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. swing — music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — a cup
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — to bear
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mug — to rob
  24. content — the amount

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