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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a dance
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. track — a path
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a great time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. scale — in music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. scale — size or range

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