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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. foot — a measure
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — the season
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — for pool
  24. calf — a young animal

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