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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — a trail
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. shower — rain
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. scale — in music
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — size or range
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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