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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — clever
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. content — the amount
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a committee

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