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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — a stone
  19. suit — clothes
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitch — completely

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