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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bass — low music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. tube — the underground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — a container
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ground — a position
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — to roll

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