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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — happy
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mug — a face
  10. present — the time now
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — army training
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. present — a gift
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. drill — a practice

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