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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitch — completely
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — a container
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tube — the underground

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