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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. firm — a company
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. object — a thing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. plane — a tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. content — the amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. firm — decided
  19. object — an aim
  20. content — happy
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — steady
  23. object — to protest
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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