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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · pop · mouse · scale · track · chest · content · calf

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pop — to visit
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. chest — a box
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. pop — music
  12. firm — decided
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — in music
  20. pop — soda
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. content — the amount

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