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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rush — hurry
  3. content — happy
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. face — to point toward
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — to confront
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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