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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — to trim

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