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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mate — a friend
  18. firm — steady
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bowl — a dish

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