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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mine — for digging
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — a list
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. roll — a cake
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. calf — of the leg

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