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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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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a line
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. net — in sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — to visit
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — soda
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — for catching

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