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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mate — a friend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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