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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: safe · bowl · cap · hand · mark · ground · ball · tube

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — the earth
  8. hand — help
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ball — a round shape

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