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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — to visit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — soda
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — electric
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — music
  24. bowl — a football final

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