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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — a gift
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — there
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. present — the time now
  14. band — a music group
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. band — a rubber band

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