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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — to go on
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — size or range
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. scale — in music
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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