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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rule — government
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fine — all right
  12. scale — in music
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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