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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. craft — a skill
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bound — tied together
  10. craft — boats
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — hurry
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. game — a kind of play

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