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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — electric
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kid — child
  13. pit — in a race
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kid — to tease
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ruler — for measuring

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