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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. object — to protest
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — to drill
  22. object — an aim
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. leaves — to go away

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