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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. deal — to handle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — in music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. field — for sport

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