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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pop — soda
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a signal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. band — a rubber band

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