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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. scale — in music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hand — help
  17. pop — soda
  18. tube — the underground

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