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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mine — for digging
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — the amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wake — a trail
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — hurry

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