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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. content — the amount
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. club — for dancing
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a cup
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a face

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