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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bat — the animal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. staff — employees
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — in music

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