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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. land — ground
  3. tube — the underground
  4. present — a gift
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. suit — to fit
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. scale — in music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. tube — a container

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