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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. object — a thing
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. net — in sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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