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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cue — a signal
  3. season — in sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. firm — steady
  6. wake — a trail
  7. firm — a company
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. season — to add flavour

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