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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cue — for pool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cue — a hint
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — rain
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — a publisher
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cue — a signal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — a loud noise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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