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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. roll — a list
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. clip — a video
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — to cut
  15. roll — a cake
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — in music

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