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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kid — child
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kid — to tease
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — happy
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — shares
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — to paddle

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