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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — a trail

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