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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chip — to eat
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. press — to push
  13. plane — a tool
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chip — for betting

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