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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — a company
  5. season — in sport
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. season — of the year
  8. firm — decided
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. firm — steady
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to click
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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