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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. content — happy
  15. game — a match
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rock — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — the amount
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tube — a container
  24. ruler — a monarch

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