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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mug — a cup
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. kick — in football
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. content — the amount
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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