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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: can · press · bowl · tube · nail · ball · trunk · bear

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a dance
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tube — a container
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — the animal

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