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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — bread
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — after costs
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. season — in sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — of a word
  10. net — in sport
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. net — for catching
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. root — the cause

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