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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a face
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. tube — a container
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. present — the time now
  16. key — in music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. scale — in music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. present — a gift
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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