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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bank — for money
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stand — for spectators
  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