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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — a committee
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — for digging
  10. object — an aim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. object — to protest
  20. board — to get on
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mug — a cup

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