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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a face
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mark — a grade
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — all right
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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