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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: row · tube · mug · field · leaves · sharp · bowl · band

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mug — a face
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. field — a subject
  16. band — a music group
  17. field — farmland
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — for sport
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bowl — a football final

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