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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — music
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — in music
  7. degree — temperature
  8. file — a tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — size or range
  16. content — happy
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. degree — from a university
  23. file — a document
  24. tube — in a tire

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