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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — for golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bear — to put up with

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