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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rock — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — in sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. tube — a container
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. racket — for tennis

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