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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · content · stand · stick · fine · scale · bark · dip

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spell — a short time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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