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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. file — a tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — to eat
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a document
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. content — happy

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