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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a music group
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a ring
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a match
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. game — wild animals
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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