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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ground — a position
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — in a road
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — to confront
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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