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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to point toward
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stock — goods
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. field — for sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stock — shares
  17. field — a subject
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. field — farmland
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — to paddle
  24. dip — a sauce

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