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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ball — a great time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — in music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. march — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tube — the underground
  20. vault — a safe
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pit — a hole

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