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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — the underground
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. swing — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rock — music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ball — a dance

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