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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. club — a group
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — of water
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. root — the cause
  15. current — electric
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — for dancing

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