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

Word bank: swing · tube · deal · face · bowl · root · perch · nail

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — the cause
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — of a plant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. root — of a word

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