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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. rock — a stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fine — all right
  11. roll — a list
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. roll — a cake
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rock — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. cap — a lid
  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