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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. content — happy
  7. scale — in music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. content — the amount
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chair — a leader
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a dance

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