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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: dip · chest · fork · scale · pit · bowl · pop · content

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. content — the amount
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. scale — in music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. content — happy
  21. fork — in a road
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bowl — a dish

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