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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pop — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — a short time
  11. club — a group
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a ring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. drill — army training
  19. squash — the sport
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a music group

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