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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pop — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. season — in sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — to add flavour

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