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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — a group
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — shares
  17. mine — for digging
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — for golf
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bowl — a football final

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