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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — the season
  5. field — for sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. spring — of water
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — in music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spring — a coil
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — high quality

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