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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. perch — the fish
  3. content — happy
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. content — the amount
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — a series
  9. pop — soda
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. game — wild animals
  13. capital — a city
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a match
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cue — for pool
  24. capital — a big letter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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