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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. firm — decided
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — to come down
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — a country
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — in a race
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. race — a contest
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. foot — a measure
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. land — ground
  22. race — humankind
  23. foot — part of the body
  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