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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — a coil
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. club — for dancing
  7. scale — in music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spring — of water
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. club — a group
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. craft — a skill
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. club — for golf
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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