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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — soda
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bass — low music
  12. charge — in control
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. charge — a price

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