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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. game — a match
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mug — a face
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — rain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — of water
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bowl — a dish

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