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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. land — to come down
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. land — a country
  12. kick — in football
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bass — low music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. land — ground
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mug — to rob

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