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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — the fish
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — the season
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fine — high quality
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spring — of water
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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