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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stand — to bear
  9. content — happy
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — in sport
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. season — of the year
  18. scale — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — to paddle
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. racket — for tennis

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