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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: straw · temple · pit · jam · tube · scale · fork · mouse

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — in a road
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. tube — a container
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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