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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — happy
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. scale — in music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. staff — a stick
  24. content — the amount

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