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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. squash — to crush
  8. object — to protest
  9. squash — the sport
  10. object — a thing
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. craft — boats
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. roll — a list

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