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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. content — happy
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. season — of the year
  8. land — ground
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chip — for betting
  22. land — to come down
  23. scale — in music
  24. fine — all right

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