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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. field — farmland
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. field — for sport
  14. current — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. current — electric
  19. scale — size or range
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — happening now
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tube — a container

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