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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. rock — a stone
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — for paper
  9. court — of law
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. court — of a king
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pound — a weight
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mug — to rob

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