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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. cap — of ice
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bank — for money

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