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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bear — the animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. degree — from a university
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. date — the fruit
  14. scale — in music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — to handle
  20. degree — temperature
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. march — the month
  24. roll — a cake

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