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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. content — happy
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — the amount
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a path
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mine — for digging
  10. shower — rain
  11. scale — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. track — a song
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — in cards
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — clothes
  23. net — after costs
  24. mine — belonging to me

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