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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — to crush
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitch — completely
  23. band — a music group
  24. scale — size or range

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