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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. track — to keep track
  3. scale — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. toast — bread
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. scale — size or range
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — a container
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. track — a song
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. roll — a list

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