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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — soda
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. land — ground
  10. pop — music
  11. swing — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. dip — to sink
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. land — to come down
  19. march — music
  20. land — a country
  21. key — for a lock
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — to visit

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