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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rest — a break
  12. degree — from a university
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — an injury

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