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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. content — happy
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. club — for golf
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for dancing
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — an explosive

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