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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. field — for sport
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. object — to protest
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. field — farmland
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — an aim
  24. track — to keep track

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