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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rock — music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — a thing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. object — an aim
  12. spring — of water
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. swing — in golf
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. object — to protest
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. swing — to play on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. land — a country
  24. deal — a big deal

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