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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. season — in sport
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — a box
  8. content — the amount
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fine — all right
  16. chest — of your body
  17. content — happy
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — before a funeral

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