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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — a committee
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. row — to paddle
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — bread
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. staff — employees
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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