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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. net — after costs
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. band — a music group
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bass — low music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a ring
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — in sport
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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