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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rule — government
  5. mark — a trace
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — the fish
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. rock — music
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rock — to move gently

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