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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. content — happy
  16. kick — in football
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. degree — an amount
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. scale — in music
  21. content — the amount
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  24. degree — from a university

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