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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — to tire
  17. perch — the fish
  18. content — the amount
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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