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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — in music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tube — the underground
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — for weighing

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