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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ground — the earth
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — a stick
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — the animal

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