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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. content — happy
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. face — to confront
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — size or range

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