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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bat — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fine — all right
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mouse — 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