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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. land — a country
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. land — to come down
  14. key — for a lock
  15. deal — to handle
  16. snap — to click
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. land — ground
  19. key — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. deal — a big deal

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