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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. scale — size or range
  4. face — to confront
  5. can — to be able to
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. face — to point toward
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — a tin
  23. scale — in music
  24. foot — the bottom

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