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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: pass · stick · tube · hide · swing · bore · scale · pop

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. swing — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — to play on
  17. scale — in music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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