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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cue — a signal
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. game — a match

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