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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — to breed
  3. object — a thing
  4. band — a music group
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. band — a ring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. club — for golf
  22. object — an aim
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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