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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — farmland
  4. club — a group
  5. net — after costs
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. club — for dancing
  14. field — for sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. field — a subject
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — in sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — for catching

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