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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. can — a tin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — a country
  14. track — a song
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a path
  18. land — ground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fork — in a road

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