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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wound — an injury
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cue — a hint
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — in a road

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