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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pop — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — soda
  18. content — happy
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a document
  21. content — the amount
  22. rest — a break
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. file — a 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