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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — the fish
  3. scale — in music
  4. stock — shares
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bat — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. content — the amount
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stock — goods
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — happy
  24. mug — a face

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