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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fine — all right
  12. object — an aim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. object — to protest
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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