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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to sink
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — the season
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. firm — decided
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — to bear
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. firm — steady
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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