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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kid — to tease
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kid — child
  24. bowl — to roll

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