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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — the earth
  4. branch — a division
  5. ground — a position
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a round shape

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