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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. swing — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a match
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. season — of the year
  24. roll — on a roll

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