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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — a measure
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. spring — a coil
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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