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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. scale — in music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — a song
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tube — a container
  11. firm — a company
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. firm — decided
  14. track — to keep track
  15. shower — to wash
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — rain
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. track — a path
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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