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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spring — the season
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. board — a committee
  8. last — final
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spring — of water
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — to get on
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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