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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. row — a line
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — ground
  19. lean — thin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. land — a country

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