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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tube — a container
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — a position
  13. present — there
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ball — a great time
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. present — the time now
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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