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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — a container
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. stand — to bear
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — a stone
  23. shower — rain
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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