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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — the season
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pop — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pop — soda
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ground — the earth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — of water
  20. ground — a position
  21. craft — boats
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spring — a coil
  24. safe — out of danger

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