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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chest — a box
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chest — of your body
  7. scale — in music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. current — of water
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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