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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. content — the amount
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. last — to go on
  11. current — of water
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. last — finally
  23. current — electric
  24. bowl — a dish

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