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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. sharp — clever
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kid — to tease
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kid — child
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bowl — a football final

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