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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — size or range
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — gave birth

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