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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. season — in sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of a king
  13. tube — a container
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — in biology
  20. swing — music
  21. court — of law
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. swing — in golf

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