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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stock — goods
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. game — a match
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — the sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — a trace
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mark — a grade
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — to pay attention

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