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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: spell · mate · wake · tube · firm · fine · scale · content

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — a partner
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — a company
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — in music
  18. fine — high quality
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — magic
  22. firm — steady
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. content — videos and posts

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