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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. band — a music group
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — in music
  12. band — a ring
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — a break
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — the fruit
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rest — what's left

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