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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hand — help
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. field — for sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — to sink
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. dip — to dunk

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