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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · rest · face · cue · ball · mug · nail · field

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ball — a great time
  3. field — farmland
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mug — a cup
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — to point toward
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. field — a subject
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — for sport

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