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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fine — all right
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — for golf
  15. net — after costs
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ground — a position
  19. foot — a measure
  20. club — a group
  21. fine — high quality
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — the earth

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