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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. content — the amount
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. row — a line
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — a position
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. chip — to eat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — for betting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. kick — with a leg

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