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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cue — a hint
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. row — a line
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. season — of the year
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — a measure
  24. season — to add flavour

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