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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — soda
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pop — music
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pop — to visit
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — of the year
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ruler — a monarch

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