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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. net — in sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — after costs
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. foot — a measure
  10. swing — music
  11. net — for catching
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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