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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — happy
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. last — final
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — the season
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — a coil
  21. last — finally
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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