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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — in cards
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. content — happy
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — a jug

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