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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — size or range
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lean — thin
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — happy

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