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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. season — of the year
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ball — a dance
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pop — soda
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — music
  24. rash — a series

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