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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pop — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pop — soda
  7. object — an aim
  8. suit — to fit
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — in cards
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — in music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — a match
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young 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