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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. track — a song
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. tube — a container
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pound — a weight
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. track — a path
  24. tube — the underground

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