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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. content — the amount
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — happy
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — in music
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer

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