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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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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: lie · tube · pound · fork · cell · jam · bowl · bass

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — a container
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cell — a phone

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