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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — in a tire

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