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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rock — music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kid — child
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pop — music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pop — soda

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