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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pop — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. track — a song
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — a path
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — a partner
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cell — in a prison

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