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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. scale — size or range
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — obliged
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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