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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — for catching
  5. game — a match
  6. content — happy
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. net — in sport
  12. present — there
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — in football
  15. present — a gift
  16. roll — a list
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. swing — in golf
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. net — after costs
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — a kind of play

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