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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — bread
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — hasty

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