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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. content — the amount
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — a hat
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a lid
  14. object — to protest
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — wild animals
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — a soup base

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