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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. field — farmland
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. track — a path
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — a break
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — for sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bear — to put up with

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