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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stock — goods
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. net — for catching
  12. drill — army training
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stock — shares
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bore — to drill

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