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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. swing — music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — of the year
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — to play on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. board — to get on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — in golf

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