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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. last — to go on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. race — a contest
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. last — finally
  19. race — humankind
  20. pit — a hole
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pit — in a race

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