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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — size or range
  6. game — wild animals
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — a match
  11. mate — to breed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — a contest
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. race — humankind
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. content — happy
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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