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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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 — size or range
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — of a king
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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