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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spell — magic
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — in music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bound — certain
  16. rock — music
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fall — the season
  19. scale — size or range
  20. kid — child
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — a container
  23. bound — tied together
  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