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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cold — not warm
  3. spring — the season
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rock — music
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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