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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rush — a thrill

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