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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · press · tube · kick · game · can · capital · bowl

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. perch — the fish
  3. kick — in football
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. capital — a city
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. press — newspapers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. capital — money
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. game — a match
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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