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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pop — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. capital — a city
  11. shower — rain
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. shower — to wash
  16. swing — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. capital — money
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — the most important part
  21. swing — in golf
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. key — for a lock

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