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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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