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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. present — there
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — in music

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