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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. key — for a lock
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. fine — high quality
  19. key — the most important part
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. date — the fruit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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