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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — a list
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — the most important part
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bore — to tire
  10. net — in sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. key — for a lock
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — after costs
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. key — in music

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