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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — for sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. court — of a king
  7. spell — a short time
  8. court — of law
  9. band — a music group
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — in music
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitch — completely
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — letters
  22. firm — decided
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — a company

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