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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — a position
  11. swing — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. deal — an agreement

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