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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. net — in sport
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — for catching
  9. band — a ring
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a music group
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. net — after costs

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