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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — soda
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pop — to visit
  13. board — to get on
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bass — low music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. board — a committee

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