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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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Word bank
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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: bay · bowl · nail · game · can · lie · tube · net

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — after costs
  20. game — a match
  21. tube — a container
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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