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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — the tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. prune — to trim

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