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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. track — a song
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. band — a ring
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. track — a path
  19. deal — to handle
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rush — to hurry

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