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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · mug · scale · content · saw · pit · march · tube

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. content — the amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mug — a cup
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. content — happy
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — music
  20. mug — a face
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — to rob

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