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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pound — to hit hard

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