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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — music
  16. last — final
  17. ground — a position
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — a trace

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