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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.

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: temple · fork · bass · tube · spell · present · pitch · last

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — a gift
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — letters
  10. last — finally
  11. fork — in a road
  12. present — there
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. present — the time now
  15. bass — low music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. last — to go on
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. spell — magic

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