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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. content — happy
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. present — there
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — a gift
  21. bark — to shout
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — part of the head
  24. content — the amount

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