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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. present — a gift
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. present — the time now
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — there
  24. game — a match

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