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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — to sink
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. club — a group
  21. rule — a law
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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