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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · bowl · pass · pit · tube · leaves · stand · deal

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stand — to bear
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — a permit
  24. tube — a container

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