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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. content — happy
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. net — in sport
  7. can — to be able to
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. scale — size or range
  10. toast — bread
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — music
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — a stone
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — the amount
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. net — after costs
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — in music

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