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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — a stone
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — to tease
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bound — tied together

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