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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 120 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. dip — to sink
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bat — the animal
  24. spring — a coil

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