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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. present — the time now
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — the season
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. band — a music group
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — there
  18. degree — an amount
  19. band — a ring
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — a gift

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