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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — a country
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — to drop
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — the season
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. swing — to play on
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fall — to drop
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. swing — music

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