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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — a container
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — music
  7. net — in sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — size or range
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — a stone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — after costs
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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