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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. court — of law
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. band — a ring
  13. court — of a king
  14. band — a music group
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — for sport
  21. roll — a cake
  22. plane — a tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. leaves — of a tree

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