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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: date · tube · trunk · present · pop · scale · saw · pit

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. present — there
  10. pit — a hole
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pop — soda
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. present — the time now
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pit — in a race

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