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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.

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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wax — to grow
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. swing — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — certain
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — a hint

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