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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — in music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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