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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. present — there
  14. spell — letters
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cue — a signal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — magic
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. present — the time now

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