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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — in music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kid — child
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. content — the amount
  16. toast — bread
  17. ball — a dance
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — happy
  24. ball — a great time

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