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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — in music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tube — a container
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. key — the most important part
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. perch — the fish

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