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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — of water
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — high quality
  9. row — to paddle
  10. fine — all right
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. spring — the season
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lean — to bend

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