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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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. stand — on your feet
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ball — a great time
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. patient — a sick person

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