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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — help
  6. stock — goods
  7. scale — size or range
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stock — shares
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. stand — to bear
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the fish
  24. content — videos and posts

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