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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — help
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — a garden tool

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