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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — for catching
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pop — to visit

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