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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. firm — a company
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — the amount
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cue — a hint
  15. firm — decided
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cue — for pool
  20. content — happy
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — a signal

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