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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — after costs
  7. present — there
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — in sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. present — a gift
  19. band — a ring
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tube — a container
  24. bore — gave birth

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