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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. bowl — to roll
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a great time
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a music group
  13. mark — a grade
  14. toast — bread
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. object — a thing
  20. band — a ring
  21. scale — size or range
  22. object — to protest
  23. scale — for weighing
  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