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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: mine · tube · sharp · scale · straw · toast · game · bowl

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. game — wild animals
  3. scale — in music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. tube — a container
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — size or range
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. toast — bread
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tube — the underground

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