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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fine — all right
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — in a tire

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