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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rash — a series
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — in music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — in a road
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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