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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — to visit
  3. shower — to wash
  4. content — happy
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — government
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. scale — in music
  14. content — the amount
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rule — a law
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. band — a music group
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — soda
  24. scale — for weighing

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