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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. present — the time now
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — for sport
  20. present — there
  21. bore — to drill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. present — a gift

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