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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. club — for golf
  3. spell — magic
  4. club — a group
  5. rest — a break
  6. wake — a trail
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spell — a short time
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — a tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. last — final

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