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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. scale — in music
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. season — in sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — of the year
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bark — to shout
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. band — a music group
  18. content — happy
  19. kid — child
  20. content — the amount
  21. band — a ring
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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