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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hand — in cards
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — help
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — to eat

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