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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.

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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: scale · wake · pit · dip · lean · board · tube · rush

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pit — in a race
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a committee
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. tube — a container
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to bend
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — a thrill

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