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

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a cup
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. key — in music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mug — a face
  12. ground — the earth
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ground — crushed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — a position
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — for a lock

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