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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — a subject
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. wind — moving air
  17. field — for sport
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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