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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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468
Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. swing — to play on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — a line
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. swing — music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fork — in a road
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. can — to be able to
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cell — in biology

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