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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — to handle
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ball — a dance
  12. firm — a company
  13. scale — size or range
  14. board — to get on
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — in music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bore — to drill
  22. firm — decided
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. content — the amount

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