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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. face — to point toward
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. craft — boats
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. march — music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — to crush
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. key — in music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. squash — the sport
  24. march — the month

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