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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. drill — the tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a skill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — happy
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. drill — army training

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