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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lean — thin
  3. field — a subject
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. field — for sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. bowl — to roll

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