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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — an aim
  9. dip — to sink
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. game — wild animals
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — of the sea

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