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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. roll — a list
  8. field — for sport
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — a stone
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. roll — a cake
  23. field — farmland
  24. rock — music

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