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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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. deal — a big deal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tube — the underground
  6. key — for a lock
  7. can — a tin
  8. key — in music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — there
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. clip — a video
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — a container
  16. cell — in biology
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — the time now
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. scale — size or range
  22. present — a gift
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — the most important part

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