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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. scale — in music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. present — the time now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — size or range
  15. present — a gift
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — there
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. racket — for tennis

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