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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 · fork · object · bowl · tube · rush · game · present

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tube — the underground
  4. object — an aim
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — wild animals
  9. present — the time now
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. object — a thing
  14. game — a match
  15. content — happy
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — a gift
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — there
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bowl — a football final

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