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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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. content — happy
  7. present — there
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. season — in sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — the amount

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