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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. march — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. snap — to click
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — boats
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spell — magic
  23. mate — a partner
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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