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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — a friend
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. scale — in music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. field — a subject
  19. tube — a container
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a music group
  24. field — farmland

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