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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — to drill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. content — videos and posts

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