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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: content · mug · spring · ball · trunk · fan · snap · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a great time
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spring — of water
  7. ball — a dance
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. scale — in music
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — a cup
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — a coil
  23. trunk — of a car
  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