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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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — for golf
  8. root — of a word
  9. stock — goods
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — the fish
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — for dancing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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