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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — bread
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bulb — for light

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