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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — a container
  9. field — farmland
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rest — what's left
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — for sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — a subject
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rest — what's left

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