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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.

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: game · tube · current · bass · season · lie · bowl · drill

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — in sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bass — the fish
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — happening now
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. drill — a practice
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — low music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. current — of water
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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