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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. current — happening now
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. current — of water
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — a weight

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