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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — in cards
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — a country
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — ground
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. scale — size or range
  15. tube — a container
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — for digging
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. tube — the underground
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. track — a path
  24. land — to come down

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