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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — rain
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — money
  20. foot — a measure
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — the animal

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