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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. craft — boats
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — a safe
  13. band — a ring
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — a permit
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a music group

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