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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — to paddle
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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