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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. root — the cause
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chair — a leader

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