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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.

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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — a permit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pop — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — soda
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. snap — to click
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. prune — to trim

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