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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. ground — the earth
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ground — a position
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — a hint
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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