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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — the underground
  8. saw — the tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — rain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — a container
  17. dip — to sink
  18. march — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stock — goods
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — shares

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