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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: leaves · tube · rash · pit · swing · scale · net · ground

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. ground — a position
  7. swing — to play on
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — in music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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