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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — in music
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — to recline
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — to get on
  24. lie — an untruth

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