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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — steady
  3. content — the amount
  4. field — for sport
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. scale — in music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pit — a hole
  16. field — a subject
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — the season
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cue — for pool
  22. field — farmland
  23. spring — of water
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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