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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ball — a great time
  3. toast — bread
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cap — a lid
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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