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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pit — in a race
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — in cards
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — the underground
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — the month
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. march — music
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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