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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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468
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — happy
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. scale — size or range
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. club — a group
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. club — for golf
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pass — a permit
  21. club — for dancing
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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