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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. net — after costs
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bore — to drill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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