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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. ground — a position
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. band — a ring
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — child
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — to tease
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. snap — to click
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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