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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — in a road
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. staff — a stick
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. current — electric
  24. content — happy

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