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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. band — a music group
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. land — to come down
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. deal — to handle
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. face — to confront
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — a country
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — a big deal

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