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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pound — a weight
  5. tube — the underground
  6. row — a line
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — a container
  10. scale — size or range
  11. spring — the season
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. march — the month
  17. row — to paddle
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. march — music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. safe — out of danger

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