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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fine — all right
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chair — a leader
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a cup
  14. shower — rain
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — happy
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tube — a container
  23. shower — to wash
  24. racket — for tennis

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