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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. capital — a city
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — money
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. content — the amount
  21. fork — in a road
  22. content — happy
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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