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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. fall — the season
  13. squash — to crush
  14. net — for catching
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. fall — to drop

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