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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. season — of the year
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mate — to breed
  12. roll — a list
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mug — a face
  19. tube — a container
  20. toast — bread
  21. season — in sport
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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