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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. suit — to fit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. field — for sport
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — for light
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — a subject
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. field — farmland

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