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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — to go on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — a trail
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — a permit
  10. last — finally
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. firm — decided
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rock — a stone
  21. last — final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. firm — steady

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