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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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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: can · ball · firm · mark · chest · bat · season · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — decided
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bat — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — in sport
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. firm — steady
  23. season — of the year
  24. tube — the underground

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