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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — the earth
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — a skill
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. capital — a city
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ball — a great time
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. hide — animal skin

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