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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bass — low music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — to be able to
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — the underground
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cap — of ice

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