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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. shower — to wash
  4. current — happening now
  5. scale — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. shower — rain
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — of water
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. current — electric

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