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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. firm — a company
  3. swing — music
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. tube — a container
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kick — in football
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — steady
  14. land — ground
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — in golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — a country
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to sink

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