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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. hand — in cards
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — the amount
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. game — a match
  15. dip — to sink
  16. craft — boats
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — a skill
  23. hand — help
  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