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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mark — a trace
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — size or range
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — in music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. court — of law
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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