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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spring — the season
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — a penalty

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