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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fine — high quality
  3. drill — army training
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. saw — the tool

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