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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rock — a stone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rock — music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. club — a group
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. content — the amount
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. content — happy
  24. club — for golf

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