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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — all right
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — happy

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