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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. suit — in cards
  6. tube — the underground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — clothes
  13. spell — letters
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spell — a short time
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — a grade
  21. key — the most important part
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — music

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