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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — ground
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. land — a country
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bowl — a dish

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