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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. game — wild animals
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. game — a match
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — a container
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bass — low music
  24. racket — for tennis

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