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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — to rob
  9. content — the amount
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. scale — in music
  13. chip — for betting
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mug — a face
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — for pool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chip — to eat

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