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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a great time
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. plane — a tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — to rip
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — a song
  23. tear — from crying
  24. plane — an aircraft

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