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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. staff — employees
  24. stem — of a plant

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