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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.

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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. club — a group
  4. tube — the underground
  5. prune — to trim
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. scale — in music
  13. club — for golf
  14. firm — steady
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spring — of water
  17. firm — decided
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tube — a container
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. fork — in a road
  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