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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — a container
  3. bore — to tire
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. capital — money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — size or range
  9. content — the amount
  10. firm — a company
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. firm — decided
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. firm — steady
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — happy
  24. scale — in music

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