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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. roll — a cake
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. object — to protest
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bass — low music
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. game — a match
  24. object — an aim

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