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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. pop — music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — to come down
  5. shower — rain
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — a country
  17. tube — the underground
  18. land — ground
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. shower — to wash
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — there
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pop — to visit

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