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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spring — a coil
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — happy
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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