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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — a container
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. row — to paddle
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. staff — a stick
  16. row — a line
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. staff — employees
  22. kick — in football
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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