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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — size or range
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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