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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 116 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: pit · rock · ground · wake · capital · scale · mug · tube

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pit — a hole
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — in a race
  14. scale — in music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. rock — to move gently

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