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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — of law
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — for sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. march — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — size or range
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — of a plant

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