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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: lie · staff · kick · tube · bay · ball · game · scale

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lie — to recline
  17. game — a match
  18. staff — a stick
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — in music

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