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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — to keep track
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. swing — in golf
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cold — an illness
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cold — not warm
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. track — a path

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