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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rule — a law
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. content — happy
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — government
  16. kick — in football
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. content — the amount
  24. pound — a weight

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