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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rock — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — help
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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