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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a music group
  9. ball — a dance
  10. band — a ring
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a great time
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. can — a tin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fork — a garden tool

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