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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — happy
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — the amount
  7. scale — in music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — to eat
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — certain
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — size or range
  24. tear — to rip

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