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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — the animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — a container
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tube — the underground
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — for light
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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