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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. root — the cause
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — to get on
  10. present — the time now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a committee
  13. present — there
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — government
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. scale — size or range
  22. root — of a word
  23. tube — a container
  24. rule — a law

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