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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — of the year
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mug — a face
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — a grade

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