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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. tube — a container
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — a gift
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. staff — employees
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. scale — in music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. scale — size or range
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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