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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pop — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — soda
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ruler — a monarch

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