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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · file · game · mouse · march · season · firm · snap

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. snap — to click
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — of the year
  8. file — a document
  9. march — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. content — happy
  12. file — a line of people
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — a company
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. march — the month
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. file — a tool

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