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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — size or range
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — to crush
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. scale — in music
  9. tube — a container
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. suit — to fit
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spring — of water

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