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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. net — in sport
  19. pop — music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a music group

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