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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: bear · cue · land · scale · game · suit · content · bay

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — for pool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. content — happy
  12. scale — size or range
  13. land — a country
  14. scale — in music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — a hint
  18. land — to come down
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — the amount
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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