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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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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — a container
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. snap — to click
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. hide — to keep secret

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