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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. scale — in music
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. scale — size or range
  24. jam — a tight spot

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