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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — the amount
  8. rest — a break
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. scale — in music
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. kick — in football
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mug — a face
  24. rest — what's left

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