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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pop — soda
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pop — music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bound — tied together
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. row — a line
  18. last — final
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — employees
  21. last — to go on
  22. bound — certain
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — finally

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