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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. toast — bread
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. board — a committee
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — to get on
  13. root — the cause
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. root — of a word
  20. rash — a series
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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