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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pop — music
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. game — a match
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — happy
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. content — the amount
  24. game — a kind of play

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