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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a ring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. drill — army training
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — a safe
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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