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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — a face
  11. roll — a cake
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. roll — a list
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — money

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