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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: tube · scale · cap · toast · mark · pitch · trunk · snap

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a trace
  4. scale — in music
  5. toast — bread
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — a grade
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cap — a hat
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. snap — to click
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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