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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pass — a permit
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. kick — in football
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. field — farmland
  17. suit — in cards
  18. field — a subject
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. suit — to fit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a football final

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