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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — a company
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. firm — decided
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. season — in sport
  11. firm — steady
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — in sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. mine — for digging
  19. season — of the year
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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