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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. content — happy
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rock — a stone
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chip — for betting
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — the bottom

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