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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bass — the fish
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a line
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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