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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. scale — in music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. sharp — clever
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cell — in biology
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. roll — a list
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — a container
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cell — in a prison

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