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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. season — in sport
  6. cue — a hint
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mate — a partner
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. season — of the year
  18. drill — army training
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bowl — a dish

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