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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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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: cap · tube · face · pit · root · present · ruler · scale

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — the time now
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pit — in a race
  8. root — of a word
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — to confront
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cap — of ice
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. scale — in music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — a hat
  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