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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. tube — a container
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — certain
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bound — obliged
  23. season — in sport
  24. bank — for money

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