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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chest — of your body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — for catching
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chest — a box
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — in sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — after costs
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bowl — a football final

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