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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — to handle
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fork — in a road
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. mug — a face

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