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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — a group
  5. march — the month
  6. club — for golf
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. march — music
  24. wake — a trail

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