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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stock — shares
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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