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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. perch — the fish
  3. content — happy
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pass — a permit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mark — a grade
  21. suit — in cards
  22. content — the amount
  23. suit — clothes
  24. foot — part of the body

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