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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. club — for dancing
  18. content — the amount
  19. club — for golf
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. foot — the bottom

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