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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — for sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — farmland
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. chair — a leader
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. field — a subject
  24. mug — to rob

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