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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — the time now
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bass — the fish
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. present — there

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