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

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. race — a contest
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. race — humankind
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. tube — a container
  11. race — the arms race
  12. kid — child
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final

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