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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cue — for pool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a hint
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — in a road
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. drill — army training

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