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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · can · pop · bay · rash · content · arm · scale

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pop — music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. content — the amount
  9. rash — a series
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pop — to visit
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — soda
  23. content — happy
  24. can — to be able to

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