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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mug — a face
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — the bottom

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