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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — a gift
  14. pop — to visit
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — the time now
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. sharp — clever
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — hurry

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