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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. spring — of water
  7. mate — to breed
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of law
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. object — to protest
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — a friend

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