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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. scale — in music
  4. stock — goods
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — the amount
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stock — shares

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