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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. drill — a practice
  13. season — in sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — army training
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — dry grass

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