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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. scale — in music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stock — goods
  7. toast — bread
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a great time
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — shares
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — a division
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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