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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. board — a committee
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chest — a box
  21. board — to get on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a flat piece

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