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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — the underground
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — for money
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. march — music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. racket — for tennis

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