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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. season — of the year
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — in sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — to play on

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