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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. clip — for paper
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. clip — a video
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — to cut
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — to get on

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