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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fork — in a road

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