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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tube — a container
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — army training
  13. spell — magic
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. drill — the tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — to handle

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