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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — happy
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — steady
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. content — the amount
  21. mate — a partner
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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