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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 116 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. stock — shares
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mate — a partner
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lean — thin
  15. spell — magic
  16. stock — goods
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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