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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 120 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: tube · foot · scale · object · mouse · can · rash · stick

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. object — a thing
  3. rash — a series
  4. tube — the underground
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — in music
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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