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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 116 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a dance
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ball — a great time
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — all right
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — high quality
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. sharp — clever

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