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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pop — to visit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rock — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. game — a match
  11. pop — soda
  12. staff — employees
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — boats
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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