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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · fork · cabinet · content · mug · game · foot · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — to recline
  9. content — happy
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — in a road

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