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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. content — the amount
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. board — a committee
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — hurry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pit — a hole
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — in a race

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