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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — in control
  4. spring — a coil
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. roll — a list
  8. spring — the season
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fork — in a road
  21. spring — of water
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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