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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. track — a song
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. ground — crushed
  8. track — a path
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. firm — decided
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — a company
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — to bear
  24. saw — the tool

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