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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. track — to keep track
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. scale — in music
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a lid
  12. track — a song
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — a path
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lie — to recline

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