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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: tube · ball · kick · drill · deal · stand · toast · clip

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. drill — a practice
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kick — in football
  8. deal — to handle
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stand — to bear
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. toast — bread
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — a video
  24. deal — a big deal

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