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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. band — a music group
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a ring
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — happy
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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