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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pop — soda
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — music
  22. content — happy
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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