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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: present · bear · foot · tube · swing · rock · ball · bat

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — the time now
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. swing — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. foot — a measure
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. tube — a container
  24. bat — in an idiom

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