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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — boats
  10. bank — for money
  11. kid — to tease
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — the amount
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the fish
  23. content — happy
  24. bass — the instrument

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