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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. band — a ring
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — a tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mark — a trace
  21. row — a line
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. squash — to crush

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