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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 116 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — decided
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — final
  16. fine — all right
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bank — of a river
  20. firm — steady
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. fine — high quality
  24. ball — a great time

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