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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — moving air
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — a group
  11. ground — crushed
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. club — for golf
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — the animal

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