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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. spell — a short time
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. spell — letters
  14. present — the time now
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. present — there
  22. degree — temperature
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — to keep secret

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