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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pop — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. current — electric
  11. track — a song
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. key — the most important part
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — soda
  24. mine — for digging

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