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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kick — in football
  5. content — the amount
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. content — happy
  9. can — a tin
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for golf
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cue — for pool

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