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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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. drill — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spring — the season
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — low music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — the underground
  16. drill — army training
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — of water
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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