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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bat — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — an aim
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rock — a stone
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rock — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. perch — for a bird

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