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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. season — of the year
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pop — music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — of ice
  13. branch — a division
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bass — low music
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pop — soda

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