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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — the season
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — hasty
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pop — soda
  12. band — a ring
  13. spring — of water
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. content — the amount
  19. scale — in music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. content — happy
  24. pop — music

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