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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — to bend
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lean — thin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cell — in biology
  13. row — a line
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bank — of a river
  24. key — the most important part

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