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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — a group
  4. scale — in music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — the season
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for golf
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mouse — the animal

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