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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bass — low music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bass — the fish

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