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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — the season
  3. scale — size or range
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — of water
  13. scale — in music
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cell — a phone
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mark — a grade
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — in biology
  24. coach — a trainer

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