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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. scale — size or range
  3. roll — a cake
  4. tube — a container
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — in music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. toast — the most admired

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