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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: scale · stick · pop · pass · tube · straw · foot · spell

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pop — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — to visit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spell — letters
  16. scale — in music
  17. pop — soda
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. spell — magic
  24. tube — a container

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