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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kid — child
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. content — the amount
  11. pop — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. content — happy
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — soda
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. pop — to visit
  24. firm — a company

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