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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: bowl · tube · can · bay · foot · coach · drill · spell

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — a tin
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — letters
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spell — a short time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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