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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mug — a cup
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. content — the amount
  5. pit — in a race
  6. scale — in music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. season — of the year
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mug — a face
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mug — to rob
  20. drill — a practice
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — in sport

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