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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. content — the amount
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — ground
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — a series
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — to come down
  17. content — happy
  18. hide — animal skin

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