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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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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: mark · hide · pit · bear · pop · scale · last · tube

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pop — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mark — a grade
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — in music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pop — soda
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — finally
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pit — a hole

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