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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — low music
  7. stock — goods
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mark — a trace

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