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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — a law
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. game — wild animals
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitch — completely

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