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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mark — a trace
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitch — completely
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rash — hasty
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — a match
  20. scale — in music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — a container
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — in a tire

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