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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — clever
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. content — happy
  22. ball — a dance
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — to pay attention

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