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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mate — to breed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mate — a partner
  17. board — a committee
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pop — soda

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