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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. content — the amount
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pound — a weight
  17. scale — in music
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wind — moving air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — of the year
  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