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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — a sports field

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