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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. branch — a division
  5. file — a line of people
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — to be able to
  11. file — a document
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a tool
  18. cap — a lid
  19. swing — to play on
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. swing — music
  24. can — a tin

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