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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kid — child
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — a song
  10. ball — a dance
  11. scale — in music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. track — a path
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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