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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — to rob
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for dancing
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tube — the underground
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. current — electric
  19. scale — size or range
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. club — a group
  24. current — happening now

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