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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — the fish
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — to crush
  8. roll — a cake
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. key — for a lock
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. roll — a list

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