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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — the most important part
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fall — the season
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bat — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. key — in music
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — to push
  20. kick — in football
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — to hit hard

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