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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — a short time
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — letters
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. can — to be able to

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