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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — wild animals
  5. scale — in music
  6. game — a match
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a ring
  9. track — to keep track
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. drill — a practice
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a music group
  18. track — a path
  19. rule — government
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. drill — army training

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