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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. roll — a list
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lean — thin
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — the sport

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