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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. row — a line
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pitch — completely
  8. fine — high quality
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spring — of water
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — the season
  14. fine — all right
  15. spring — a coil
  16. row — to paddle
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. tube — a container
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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