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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — in control
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. court — of a king
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — a series
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bowl — a football final

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