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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. present — a gift
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — soda
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — of the year
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — a stone
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. date — the fruit
  23. season — in sport
  24. present — the time now

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