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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. land — a country
  4. cell — a phone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cell — in biology
  9. land — to come down
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. land — ground
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. suit — clothes
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — a safe
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. suit — to fit
  24. dip — to dunk

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