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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bore — to tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. tube — a container
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to drill

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