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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. scale — in music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — size or range
  6. capital — money
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. capital — a city
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — obliged
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bound — certain
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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