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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. season — in sport
  10. swing — music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pitch — completely
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — a weight
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — of the year
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fork — a garden tool

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