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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — in music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — to tire
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — decided
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — all right
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. content — happy
  21. file — a tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. kid — to tease
  24. roll — a cake

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