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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — to recline
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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