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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pop — music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — to confront
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pop — soda
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bat — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — thin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lean — to bend

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