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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — in music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — to crush
  8. scale — size or range
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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