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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. firm — a company
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. firm — steady
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — decided
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. tube — a container
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bowl — to roll

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