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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. scale — size or range
  4. chest — of your body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — happy
  11. rock — music
  12. ground — a position
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. scale — in music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. content — the amount
  21. chest — a box
  22. rock — a stone
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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