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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. board — to get on
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — a committee
  7. field — for sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — to dunk

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