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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. band — a ring
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — for catching
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. band — a music group
  12. face — to confront
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. net — in sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. dip — to dunk

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