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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 116 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: pitcher · hide · squash · fork · bowl · leaves · content · fine

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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