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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. firm — a company
  11. squash — to crush
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — decided
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. firm — steady
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. field — a subject
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. squash — the sport

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