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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — happy
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — a grade
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mouse — for a computer

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