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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. spell — letters
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. spell — magic
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitch — completely
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. scale — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. content — the amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — a short time
  15. land — a country
  16. content — happy
  17. land — ground
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — low music

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