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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — for sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — farmland
  10. cue — for pool
  11. field — a subject
  12. roll — a list
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cue — a signal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. content — happy
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wind — moving air

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