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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bass — the fish
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rule — government
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — in music
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rule — a law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rule — to rule out

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