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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. content — happy
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. scale — in music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — a hint
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — a measure
  19. can — to be able to
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. deal — to handle

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