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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · bowl · dip · foot · land · board · pitcher · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. land — to come down
  14. foot — a measure
  15. board — to get on
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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