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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a ring
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. scale — in music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ground — a position
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. band — a music group

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