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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. scale — size or range
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ball — a dance
  11. scale — in music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a great time
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to confront
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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