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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — to come down
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. season — of the year
  9. spell — magic
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. current — happening now
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. land — ground
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — in cards

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