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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pop — music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — a permit
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pop — to visit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rest — a break
  24. pass — to succeed

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