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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. toast — bread
  22. fork — in a road
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. stem — to come from

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