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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitch — completely
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — a tool

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