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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bound — certain
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. sharp — clever

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