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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spring — a coil
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. spring — the season
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. game — a match
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spring — of water
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. saw — the tool

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