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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. kick — in football
  7. spring — of water
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rule — government
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. spring — the season
  16. object — to protest
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. content — happy
  19. object — an aim
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rule — a law
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spring — a coil

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