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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. cue — a signal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — the season
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — of water
  13. rule — a law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — soda
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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