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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fine — all right
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. capital — money
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fine — high quality
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — a city
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — dry grass

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