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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — to paddle
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — of law
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. row — a line
  20. court — for sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a leader
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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