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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — soda
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. content — the amount
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pop — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. content — happy
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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