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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ball — a dance
  11. row — to paddle
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. season — in sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ball — a great time
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — of the year

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