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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitch — a sports field

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