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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — goods
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — a gift
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — a professorship

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