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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. scale — in music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chip — for betting
  14. root — of a word
  15. scale — size or range
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. plane — a tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hide — animal skin

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