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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chest — a box
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — of water
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. scale — in music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. court — for sport
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — the amount
  24. court — of law

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