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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — a thing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lean — to bend
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — an aim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. season — of the year
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lean — thin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. object — to protest
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. content — happy
  24. track — a song

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