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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — steady
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — the amount
  19. game — wild animals
  20. content — happy
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. game — a match
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. scale — in music

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