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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — of the year
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. present — a gift
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — there
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. season — in sport
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. present — the time now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. deal — an agreement

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