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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · club · tube · roll · bay · file · stick · scale

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. file — a document
  9. tube — a container
  10. file — a line of people
  11. club — a group
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. file — a tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — for golf
  17. roll — a list
  18. snap — to click
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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