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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rest — a break
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — a country
  10. tube — the underground
  11. land — ground
  12. pop — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pop — to visit
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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