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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ground — a position
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — wild animals
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. game — a match
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ruler — for measuring

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