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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. swing — music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wax — to grow
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — help
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — a container
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. key — the most important part

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