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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a hat
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mark — a trace
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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