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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. spring — of water
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — all right
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. spring — the season
  24. fine — a penalty

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