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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. swing — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. scale — in music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. prune — to trim

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