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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — happy
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. capital — money
  11. mate — to breed
  12. content — the amount
  13. capital — a city
  14. pound — a weight
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — all right
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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