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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. firm — decided
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. game — a match
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. game — wild animals
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. firm — a company
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — steady
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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