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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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. craft — boats
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — to confront
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. content — happy
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. face — to point toward
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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